The goal we wish to achieve is the ability to read texts from various levels of Modern Standard Arabic, with the help of a dictionary. We aim to reach a high level of reading comprehension of modern texts by the end of the first two years of study. Textual courses in the third year of study will expose the student to additional strata of the Arabic language (modern literature and classical Arabic).

The aim of dynamic teaching is achieved by studying Arabic as a language of (written and aural) media and extensive expansion of the students’ vocabulary, together with learning the basics of grammar and syntax. Reading strategies are taught as a process already in the first year.

 

Study aims

• Intensive reading, attained gradually with the help of dictionaries
• Increasing the students’ active and passive vocabularies, especially in the language of modern media
• From the second half of the first year, most topics of grammar and syntax will be learned through the texts being read
• Practice of the topics studied will be active only at first and at an advanced stage, will move to identification of grammatical phenomena only (in the end of the year exam, students will be required to identify syntactic phenomena and not actively to create sentences with these phenomena)
• In the first year, the student will learn all forms of the verb
• In the second year, great emphasis will be placed on skills of reading and understanding/translating texts
• Over the course of the two years of language studies, students will be exposed to audio-visual materials via the technological resources of classrooms and laboratories
• By the end of the degree, students will have acquired various communications skills, including listening, acquaintance with and grasp of various media

 

Structure of learning

Two streams of study are offered: limited and expanded. The course structure is adapted to the academic year, and not all teaching hours will be frontal instruction in a classroom. Study in language labs or in classrooms permitting the use of audio-visual material alongside texts is also included.

 

Study streams:

1. Limited stream: In the first year, the students will take “Arabic for Beginners” and by the end of the year they will acquire reading comprehension skills in a text in Modern Standard Arabic, with the help of a dictionary. In the second year, they will take a textual course in Media Arabic.
2. Expanded stream: In the first year, the students will take “Arabic for Beginners” and in the second year, they will take “Advanced Arabic.” A passing grade in “Arabic for Beginners” is 60; at least 70 is required for acceptance to “Advanced Arabic.” In the third year, students will take a textual course intended for students who have passed “Advanced Arabic,” that combines reading texts in Media Arabic with a range of texts on topics in society, economy, politics, etc.

The textual courses in both study streams will be taught by teachers of the Arabic Language Unit.

The level of Arabic achieved in the limited stream is sufficient to receive a B.A. from the Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies. The level of Arabic achieved in the expanded stream is a requirement for acceptance to M.A. studies in the Department. The Department encourages students to take the expanded stream.